Bengals get head start on trying to sell out last two home games

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on November 24, 2009, 12:22 PM EST

The Cincinnati Bengals have broken out the Chicken Little routine this year, constantly whining publicly about the possibility of a blackout. And consistently getting all non-premium seats sold before the league-imposed deadline.

So this week, they’re bragging. They’ve sold out Sunday’s home game against the Browns, and it’s the Bengals’ 50th straight regular-season and postseason sellout.

But there’s a caveat. The Bengals also are getting a head start on trying to sell out their last two home games.

They’ve announced that 6,500 non-premium seats remain for each of the final two home games: December 6 against the Lions and December 27 against the Chiefs.

“We thank our fans for responding to our successful season by selling out the Cleveland game,” ticket sales manager Andrew Brown said in the release. “But it’s clear we will need strong sales from this point forward to sell out for the Lions and Chiefs. We are working hard to achieve that end and hope that we can fill the stadium for our final two home games in the push for the playoffs.”

Here’s the better pitch. “Since we play down to the level of inferior opponents, you should come to see us play the Lions and the Chiefs. Both games should go down to the wire, and there’s a good chance we’ll lose.”

33 Responses to “Bengals get head start on trying to sell out last two home games”

SteelCurtnDee says:Nov 24, 2009 12:26 PM

the only reason the browns game is sold out is Browns fans.
Bengals fans are pathetic, and they whine about the economy being the reason even though lots of other teams sell out their games.
The browns have been terrible forever but their fans are still loyal enough to travel to Cincy to see a game and I respect them for that. No respect for Bungles fans.

leatherneck says:Nov 24, 2009 12:28 PM

I suppose, “Hey, fans, come watch us blow out these bad teams” could be used as bulletin board material.

shinsnake says:Nov 24, 2009 12:34 PM

Well, the Chiefs did just come off a big win against a supposedly good Steelers team, so I guess they could beat the Bengals too. Florio, it’s gotta hurt a little every time you post about the Bengals and you take a shot at them losing to the Raiders in the same week your Steelers lost. It’s gotta hurt.
The most likely reason this game sold out, since the high unemployment rate in Cincy hasn’t decreased dramatically in the past few days (thanks Strickland), is that the Browns fans who weren’t going to make the trip due to their team sucking, are now making the trip off a week where the Bengals lost and the Browns put up a lot of points. The Bengals usually sell out all Browns and Steelers game because their fans travel so well. I don’t think the Lions and Chiefs can help us out in that fact.

shinsnake says:Nov 24, 2009 12:41 PM

SteelCurtnDee
Not sure how much you actually know about Cincinnati, Ohio, Bengals fans, or much of anything really. Obama’s economy does in fact, you know, suck. Strickland has made things worse. Cincinnati fans are more hyped about the Bengals than ever, but $62 a ticket isn’t really in the works right now, even for someone like me who has stayed above water. I’ll admit that Cincy fans aren’t as loyal as Pittsburgh fans, but that’s pretty much common sense. Pittsburgh would have trouble selling out their stadium if they went 4-11-1 last year and they were 7,000 short of selling out all season tickets. Hell, didn’t the Vikings just struggle the other week to sell out a game? It’s not a Cincy-fans’ suck type of situation.

MostNutsEver says:Nov 24, 2009 12:50 PM

Mike, we know you have to pretend to be impartial as something of a media figure now, but your love of the Steelers and hatred of the Bengals is so obvious. I don’t think I’ve read a single story involving the Bengals without a negative overtone and I know you’re going to find another way to write yet another story about “The Curse of the Terrible Towel”. Child please.

birdmancometh says:Nov 24, 2009 12:53 PM

Ouch, thats pretty harsh. I’ll put 50 bucks on each game Mike.

pdubbbs says:Nov 24, 2009 1:05 PM

the only reason the browns game is sold out is Browns fans.
Bengals fans are pathetic, and they whine about the economy being the reason even though lots of other teams sell out their games.
The browns have been terrible forever but their fans are still loyal enough to travel to Cincy to see a game and I respect them for that. No respect for Bungles fans.
Let me start off with saying that I am a Bengals season Tix holder.
With that said, it is a little crazy that we have not sold out the rest of the season considering we are atop the AFC division and essentially have a two game lead on the Steelers with the tie breaker.
But……………..
You must understand, we have only had one winning season in 20+ years. A few .500 seasons but nothing really to get to fired up about. We don’t have the history of a six pack of Super Bowl rings. We have terrible ownership with Mike Brown, Katie Blackburn, Troy Blackburn. We have been burned to many times.
Just got a form for playofff tickets from the Bengals. They want all the money for the playoff games upfront. They assume we will have 3 Home games. So it’s a lot of money.
Also, giving us Sh*t about the Bengals not selling out is comprable to me giving Pittsburgh Pirates fan grief about not selling any of their baseball games.
Pirates fans don’t go because the team blows. Bengals fans will sellout with Mike Brown can put it all together. He is our GM/owner so it lies in his hands not the fans.
Drink a yingling my friend and enjoy 2nd place in the afc north.

jwill007 says:Nov 24, 2009 1:13 PM

Florio,
So instead of playing down to our opponents we couldnt have been tired and beaten down from just playing the 2 MOST PHYSICAL TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE??????? Then had to go across the country to play Oakland WHO HAS MAD TALENT……So with that said since there is a good chance we will lose to Detroit and Cleveland how about we go $100 bets on both games and we can use Paypal to pay up….Deal?????? Im confident are you?????

jwill007 says:Nov 24, 2009 1:17 PM

Also the games end up being “SELL OUTS” just not “SELL OUT’s” in time for it to be broadcasted on TV……WE still end up with 65k+ in the Stadium……

shinsnake says:Nov 24, 2009 1:23 PM

If the Bengals really wanted to move tickets in the touch [Him who shall not be named] economy, they should do what every other business is doing, reduce prices. The argument goes that if you lower prices, people who couldn’t afford something they wanted, would pick them up. The opposite argument is that it sends the wrong message to the fans who paid full price for the same product, but that happens with every other product in the world. There is always a time when things are most expensive but still sell and then they drop the price to move more units after the initial selling frenzy has subsided. Drop the tickets to $45 – 50 and even the Lions and the Chiefs sell out.

WhoPlaysWhere says:Nov 24, 2009 1:23 PM

@pdubbs, I havent opened my envelope yet and what you just said scares me. It is unreal the way the Brown Family runs their show. Not one playoff win in 19 years, but they want me to fork over $500 for my two season ticket seats for a potential playoff run?
What’s the refund option? I am guessing it is a discount on your 2010 renewal.
See you on Sunday, Section 303 Row 4.

Roethlisberger's Bitch Tits says:Nov 24, 2009 1:28 PM

SteelcurtinDee:
Times are tough in the Nati, do you live there? No you don’t. Listen, its much harder to make a mortgage payment on a house for a Bengals fan, than it is to live out of a camper/ apartment for the average Steeler fan.
BOOM!!!!!

jimmy the greek says:Nov 24, 2009 1:34 PM

Florio, you clown. Reality is bad teams beat good teams every week in the NFL. I’m sure you’re familiar with the term “Any Given Sunday.”
And with all these posts claiming the Bengals aren’t any good because they’ve lost to some bad teams you’ve lost sight of the fact that your Steelers have lost to some bad teams as well–Bears (who the Bengals blew out) and KC.
Get a job.

Cincyfan73 says:Nov 24, 2009 1:35 PM

Florio, your bias is disgusting and unprofessional, particularly any time you bring up the Bengals.
“Since we play down to the level of inferior opponents, you should come to see us play the Lions and the Chiefs. Both games should go down to the wire, and there’s a good chance we’ll lose.”
You mean, how about we play down to the wire and come up with clutch plays against these teams just like in wins against the packers, steelersX2, ravensX2, browns, and fluke broncos loss?
Do I wish Cincinnati had the tradition, championships and pride the Steelers do? Of course; Carson said it best, “I hate them but its because I want what they have.” But your insults disguised as “humor” are transparent and childish.

akw4572 says:Nov 24, 2009 1:37 PM

Hey Florio……….how about putting your rep on the line? I’ll take the Bengals is those two games you say “they have a good chance to lose”. They win………..you wear a Bengals jersey on a PFT video shot. If not, I’ll wear a Steeler jersey to work and video it for you?

braczey29 says:Nov 24, 2009 1:37 PM

Florio is exactly right about these Bungles. Regardless of loyalty to Steelers the truth remains that Marvin has a hard time motivating his once “bum” players to beat up on the other bums. I think there’s a connection here to these teams. The Bengals understand and feel sorry for teams in the position they so often have found themselves in over the last……om, twenty plus years since the guy who invented today’s NFL and the Bengals croaked. Bottom line is there a little soft and not ready to take next step. How could they be? This is the team who won’t afford cable/internet for their players during training camp and refuse scouting help. There motivation to play hard is to get a contract not in Cincinnati again (Chad) and they look really motivated after last year to not be laughed at more so than being just winners.
The game against Oakland proved again that yes, it’s hard to play out west too. Wait, that’s a tired excuse for so called elite teams to use, it’s not another hemisphere. But that they are not ready for much success and dont trust the players they have or trust them too much cause their Marvin’s guys.
You sign a big guy in Larry Johnson who carries the football a lot….. then you hand the ball off to Jeremi Johnson in red zone who then fumbles cause he’s not used to ball or practiced Palmer’s unorthodox hand-off exchange due to injury (major problem that looms in bad weather). Marvin’s not ready either, he’s gotten a little tougher but not enough because the offensive guy hasn’t been fired yet. He’s up there as the worst tactition in the NFL as coach and his decison making rarely can be described as savvy or clever. Finally, he gives up on his defensive philosophy and Zimmer runs wild with his own. But who wants his job? Under Mike Brown? He’ll never get fired either and we’ll never smell a playoff W until someone croaks again. They franchised a kicker for Christ sake who wasn’t good the previous year and hasnt been since 2005. How about getting some use out of your first round pick for once and that twenty plus million? If Mangina didn’t blow it and pass on Maleauga six times the Bengals would really be suffering now on defense. The non-Marvin part of the squad is excelling though now on toughness cause their new de-facto leader is and the offense is pitiful w/o a man named Ced Benson and his renewed aspirations to get paid.
Go Bengals

BlackberryBartakamos says:Nov 24, 2009 1:57 PM

I love the fans on this site. According to all the comments, Florio hates all 32 NFL teams including Comrade Goodell and Czar Perreria.

GoBears84 says:Nov 24, 2009 1:59 PM

whoplayswhere….
their is no refund option…..here’s how it works for cinci at least (my buddies a season ticket holder and was explaining to me the other day).
You have to pay for the 2 or 3 games or whatever….
If you don’t make playoffs, all the money is forwarded towards next year’s season tickets, so that is that much less you will have to pay next year…
Say they lose in the first game, then the money from the second game spent will be forwarded to next year, so your tix will be cheaper then.

shinsnake says:Nov 24, 2009 2:04 PM

No, there is a refund option, it just takes a long time to get it back to you, or the money you spent can be immediately put towards the purchase of season tickets. At least, that was the policy a few years ago when I inquired with the Bengals about buying the season tickets towards the end of ’05 when there was a waiting list, so I guess it could have changed.

shinsnake says:Nov 24, 2009 2:16 PM

I don’t understand why the Bengals would assume 3 home games. That’s not possible.
If they are the 2 seed, they play only 2 games period. If they are the 3, they play the first one at home, then they play the 2 on the road, then they could play the 4/5 at home if the 4/5 beat the 1. If they are the the 4, they would play the 5 at home, then play the 1 or the 2 based on whether the 3 or 6 won. Then they would play at home again only if the 6 beat the 1/2 that they played.
Am I missing something? How can someone play three home playoff games?

BlitzDorsey says:Nov 24, 2009 2:21 PM

Florio is definitely a Steeler fan. Anyone who doesn’t know that hasn’t been following this blog long enough. That’s who all them moonshine-drinkin’ hillbillies from West Virginia like.
No one claims that Florio hates all 32 teams, most everyone knows he is a Stiller fan. He just hates teams like the Bengals that annoy him and sweep his favorite team, things like that.
Steelers wouldn’t have won the Super Bowl in the ’05 season if not for the cheap shot on Carson in the playoffs. Marvin should have retaliated with a shot on Roethlisraper.

goetta-head says:Nov 24, 2009 2:31 PM

How many teams that won the superbowl lost to inferior teams that year? How many did they lose? Methinks your regular season record and who one loses to is irrelevant at best. You get into the playoffs for starters, which the Bengals should, and they games begin then! And I will take playing to our opponents because we seem to beat the great teams dont we? We will stomp Cleveland.
I hope.

C Hamet Benengali says:Nov 24, 2009 2:40 PM

Something seems to be getting lost in the translation here as the unbroken string of home Bengal sellouts is currently FIFTY … AND COUNTING. I know the last home game I didn’t attend was the Corey Dillon breaking Jim Brown’s all time single game rushing record game (not sure if that’s a personal lesson in going … or not?).
It’s intellectually easy to be a frontrunner stillers fan, as evidenced by the sheer number of posts all across the web by obvious single-digit IQ low-watt dimbulb troglodytes claiming that very status. But it requires massive mature ego strength and sterling fortitude of character to be a true lifer Bengalfan like me (since ’68 … AND COUNTING) in keeping The Impossible Dream alive!
I’ve been to The Mountaintop twice now only to be cast back down crushed & heartbroken into the stygian abyss, but by God if I’m not still up for yet another Glorious Quest! WHO DEY!!!

@shinsnake: Where did you see anything that the Bengals assume 3 home games? The invoices they sent out are for 2 home games (which they will get, by the way, since they’ll beat up on the Clowns, Lions and Chiefs at home). Might wanna check your stats first there. And for Florio: Keep sucking some Steeler a..!

Fear Da Tiger says:Nov 24, 2009 3:22 PM

shinsnake-
The bengals have a chance to host three home games if they end up being the no. 2 seed and the no. 1 seed (Indy at this point) loses before the AFC Championship game and the Bengals make it to the AFC Championship. They then, in theory, would host that game.
I agree, it’s a ton of money to be shelling out when they haven’t even locked up a playoff berth, but I’m sure the bengals aren’t the only team that does it this way.

CincyAllDaWay says:Nov 24, 2009 3:22 PM

SteelCurtnDee…….You got no respect for Bengals fans simply because you had that ass smacked not once but twice this year! Go talk your punk ass smack to some Chiefs fans that give a shit about you bunch of losers. I’d say we’ll see ya in the playoffs but i don’t think you and that lard ass Shitzenberger will make it that far. ….or is he Batman…I forget…and so does he🙂

foots09 says:Nov 24, 2009 3:23 PM

For all of you that do not know how this works:
The National Football League has directed the Bengals and other teams to invoice for possible home playoff games. Please read carefully and be mindful of the following points:
» The NFL determines ticket prices and handling fees.
» The Bengals can only host a maximum of two home playoff games and tickets are sold on a two-game basis. You are being invoiced for the Divisional and AFC Championship games. Should the Bengals host the Wild Card game and not the Divisional Playoff game, a credit for the difference will automatically be applied to your 2010 season tickets. No partial orders will be accepted.
» All playoff payments for games not hosted will be automatically applied to your 2010 season tickets renewal. For refunds: a separate letter requesting the refund, including the account number and signed by the season ticket holder of record, must be received at the Bengals Ticket Office by February 28, 2010. Requests received after that date will not be honored. Refund checks are sent to season ticket holder of record, regardless of payment origin. Credit card payments entitled a refund will only be credited to the card used.
It takes time to print and send out tickets.
After last year, a lot of ticket holders dumped their season tickets, if they wanted them back they would have to pay for COAs all over again.
That be said, the economy is bad and some can’t afford to go; but I have heard several people complain that the team is not going to sell out so that they can stay home and watch on tv. I say if you want to see the game and you can afford it, buy a ticket. Don’t expect everyone else to pay so that you can stay home.

Bech72 says:Nov 24, 2009 3:37 PM

It’s refreshing to see Florio’s disdain for Cincy return; it was getting weird having him on the bandwagon.
Note: Real sports writers don’t let their personal bias make them look stupid in nearly everything they write.

shinsnake says:Nov 24, 2009 3:48 PM

Bayern
pdubbbs said he just got a form for the playoff games in the mail and the Bengals assume they will have three home games and want all the money up front. I couldn’t figure out why they would assume 3 home playoff games since that’s not possible. I didn’t need to check my stats, I just couldn’t figure out why the Bengals would send out a flyer requesting money for three playoff games when they could only host 2 at the most.

1mge says:Nov 24, 2009 4:01 PM

They should call the Vikings front office and ask advice on how to beg the NFL for a blackout extension and how to beg local companies to buy up seats.

C Hamet Benengali says:Nov 24, 2009 4:08 PM

Gee Fear da Tiger, are you doing your impression of an illiterate moron stiller fan? Seeds 1 & 2 get first round byes, so the most they could play (or host) in that case would be 2 playoff games before the superbowl.